Treacherous Moonlight
by fast in my car
Summary: Stormpaw, a RiverClan apprentice, uncovers a shocking secret about herself that may be connected to the strange murders ravaging the Clans. Sometimes the very moonlight becomes deadly... (Set at the same time as Into the Wild, just completely different characters). Rated T, but only for all the usual Warriors content.


Allegiances

RiverClan

Leader: Snowstar – sleek white she-cat with a long tail

Deputy: Foxpad – ginger tabby tom

Medicine Cat: Goosewing – gray tabby tom with white patches

Warriors:

Leafripple – tortoiseshell and white she-cat with yellow-green eyes

_Apprentice, Stormpaw_

Tigerleap – brown tom with black furtips and amber eyes

Brookdapple – gray she-cat with white paws and ears

Willowheart – white she-cat with blue eyes

Redflame – bright ginger tom with one darker paw

_Apprentice,_

Stoneclaw – dark gray tom with long claws

Nightstreak – black she-cat with a white streak on her shoulder

_Apprentice, Reedpaw_

Littlestream – silvery gray she-cat with a small build

Birchpelt – black-and-white tom patched tom with long legs and tufted ears

_Apprentice, Ravenpaw_

Apprentices:

Stormpaw – silver tabby she-cat with large green eyes

Reedpaw – ginger-brown tom with amber eyes

Ravenpaw – black she-cat with very faint lighter stripes

Queens:

Dovecry – pale gray she-cat, expecting Foxpad's kits

Morningheart – golden tabby she-cat, mother of Tigerleap's kits

Kits:

Rosekit – dark brown tabby she-kit with a white forehead

Swiftkit – pale golden tom with long legs

Troutkit – brown tom with black furtips, blue eyes and one white ear

Elders:

Ottersplash – very dark brown she-cat with one blind eye

Nettlestrike – black tom

ThunderClan

Leader: Oakstar – sturdy pale brown tabby tom with a scarred face

_Apprentice, Ashpaw_

Deputy: Hawkstrike – black-and-white patched tom with long legs

Medicine Cat: Silvermoon – shaggy, silver-furred she-cat with large green eyes

_Apprentice, Badgerpaw_

Warriors:

Tallpine – dark brown tabby tom

Dawnfeather – golden-and-white she-cat

_Apprentice, Brackenpaw_

Apprentices:

Brackenpaw – pale brown tabby tom

Ashpaw – small pale gray she-cat

WindClan

Leader: Daystar – white and black striped she-cat with bright yellow eyes

Deputy: Runningflash – mottled brown tom

Medicine Cat: Swallowcry – black she-cat

_Apprentice, Frostpaw_

Warriors:

Heatherpad – tortoiseshell she-cat

Falconheart – ginger tabby tom

_Apprentice, Sedgepaw_

Apprentices:

Frostpaw – white she-cat

Sedgepaw – brown tom with black paws

ShadowClan

Leader: Ivystar – dark gray tabby she-cat

Deputy: Russetclaw – very dark ginger tom

Medicine Cat: Duskwing – cream-furred she-cat with a long tail

Warriors:

Toadleap – black tom with long legs

_Apprentice, Birdpaw_

Apprentices:

Birdpaw – tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Queens:

Poppyclaw – ginger tabby she-cat, expecting kits

Cats Outside the Clans

Madilyn – extremely light golden she-cat with a dainty build (kittypet)

Charcoal – fluffy black tom (loner)

…

Silvermoon padded through the forest, moonlight filtering through the tree's branches and shooting onto the bracken beside her. She snarled and darted away from the light – the risk of being seen was too great for her to foolishly prance out in the open.

_And yet...I haven't felt the moonlight for so long; I have forgotten entirely what it feels like. I have forgotten entirely what it feels like to be happy, for that matter. My heart is asleep, not letting me love any cat..._Silvermoon flicked her ears in annoyance; she wasn't sure where these thoughts were coming from. _I do this for a reason. I don't need love, or happiness. All I want from life is to avenge my broken, marred existence. And now it's time. _The graceful she-cat slid through a patch of brambles, turning backwards to keep from sticking, only to freeze a moment later when she caught sight of two glowing, golden eyes

_Who – or what – could that be? _Silvermoon hesitantly dropped low to the ground, knowing she couldn't be seen.

"Silvermoon – wait up!" A cheery meow echoed all around Silvermoon, causing her to wince.

_Badgerpaw. He followed me! _

She got to her paws wearily, almost wishing she didn't have to do this. But the feeling of regret was soon replaced by the determination that had driven her for moons. The determination that had stained her with her own Clan's blood just a few nights ago, and was about to do it again...

"What are you doing out here? I thought you might need help, so I followed you." Badgerpaw said as he drew closer. Silvermoon growled softly, not giving her apprentice any time to react before she pounced. Her teeth sunk into Badgerpaw's throat, his blood glinting faintly red.

"You know too much." She whispered in his ear. He would never answer, though. The life drained out of his body, and he died staring at Silvermoon in confusion. She dragged Badgerpaw's body into the brambles, then continued on her way.

_I'm coming, RiverClan! I'm coming..._

An anguished wail penetrated Stormpaw's dream, the images before her dissolving in the wake of the sound. She came back to reality in one instant, opening her eyes in alarm. No, it hadn't just been her imagination – the yowling was persisting. Ravenpaw and Reedpaw, Stormpaw's denmates, were apparently already up and about: their nests were empty. Stormpaw got to her paws quickly, scrambling out of the apprentices' den to see Morningheart huddled over a tiny, bloodied figure.

_Swiftkit? _Stormpaw hesitantly padded over to Morningheart.

"My son..." Morningheart said more quietly, staring dully at Swiftkit. Or rather Swiftkit's body. He was dead – tooth marks mottled his body. Stormpaw blinked in disbelief, frozen with dread. When Morningheart let out another cry, Stormpaw was shaken into action. Paws pounding against the ground, she ran to the medicine cat's den. Goosewing's den.

"Goosewing, something's happened!" Stormpaw meowed loudly. Goosewing mumbled something incoherently before snapping to attention.

"What's wrong?" He asked, still curled up in his nest. Stormpaw closed her eyes and replied, "Swiftkit's dead." A wave of dizziness overcame her, causing her to drop to the ground. Goosewing gasped audibly, then leaped over Stormpaw into the clearing.

"What's going on?" He demanded of the cats in the clearing. Stormpaw couldn't make out any responses. She let herself sink back into darkness – sometimes the world seemed too painful to face.


End file.
